BackgroundArtisanal fishery is one of the most important economic activities for human populations living in coastal areas. The traditional knowledge that fishermen have of fishes is of utmost importance for the establishment of conservation strategies for many species. This study aimed to analyse the knowledge of and utilization of fishes by the artisanal fishermen in a fishing community on the coast of Ceará State (Northeast Brazil).MethodsIn 2011, a number of semi-structured interviews were performed with fishermen with more than 20 years of fishery experience. The interviews were about fisheries (collecting spots, artefacts, etc.) and fish use. The fishes cited by the fishermen were identified scientifically and ethnotaxonomically.ResultsConsidered masters of fishery, they cited 162 vernacular names of fishes, which corresponded to 290 different species, also including other animals such as dolphins, porpoises, whales and manatees. The criteria for the classification of the fishes were well known and utilised by the fishermen, and they were based on morphology, behaviour, habitat and the importance of commercial and fishing activities. Four hierarchical categories were identified in their classification system: kingdom, life-form, generic and specific. The fish nomenclature created by the fishermen was mostly composed of generic and monotypic names. The main uses of fish were for food and commercial purposes.ConclusionsThe results stress the richness and complexity of the knowledge of the artisanal fishermen of Redonda Beach, and they provide support for the possibility of future studies and for the development of management plans and the management of wildlife resources.

BackgroundFishing is one of the oldest human activities and constitutes a source of income and livelihood for millions of people, particularly in coastal regions. This study aimed to characterize the types of fish use and test whether there is a relationship between uses of fish in the communities studied.MethodsThis study was conducted during the months of January to October 2013, on the beaches of Tamandaré and Batoque, both located in Northeast Brazil. Information was collected through interviews with 75 artisanal marine fishermen on the fishes they knew and their forms of use.ResultsThe fishermen interviewed were male, between 22 and 84 years old, and they had been fishing for over 10 years and had a low educational level. Fishermen from Tamandaré mentioned 339 popular fish names, representing 222 taxa, while Batoque fishermen mentioned 305 popular fish names, representing 215 taxa. Six types of uses of fish were characterized: food, commercial, medicinal, handicrafts, spiritual-religious purposes and aquarium. It was found that there were multiple uses for fish and that there was a relationship between these different uses, reinforcing the importance that fish have on the culture and economic activities of fishing communities.ConclusionsArtisanal fishing should be understood as a cultural activity, because the different and multiple uses fish make up the dynamics of fishing communities. Just as in the areas of this study, some of these communities are included in protected areas and, therefore, fishermen must be involved in the development and implementation of management plans of these units.

Ethnotaxonomy seeks to understand how people identify, name, and classify living organisms, associating traditional and scientific knowledge. We examined the ethnobiological and ethnotaxonomic classification systems of fishermen in relation to naming commercial fish at the Tamandaré and Batoque beaches on the northeastern coast of Brazil. Seventy-five fishermen were interviewed between January and August of 2013. The interviews concentrated on the morphological, ecological, and sociocultural criteria used in identification, naming, and classification. Fishermen mentioned 441 popular fish names, representing 268 scientific taxa. Of these, 58% were named based on morphological characteristics using folk terminology. Seventy-two generic monotypes, 42 generic polytypes, and 228 folk specific taxa were recorded at Tamandaré Beach; while 80, 43, and 184 were recorded at Batoque Beach, respectively. We identified five types of correspondence between scientific taxa and folk specific taxa, as well as four classification systems: hierarchical, sequential, ecological, and sociocultural. Information concerning the richness, diversity, and bioecology of fish can be obtained from the ethnobiological and ethnotaxonomic systems from fishermen along with related sociocultural parameters, such as habitat, food and fish seasonality, and the different ways of using this resource. Findings of this work will be useful in implementing proactive conservation and management plans.

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